Recuperación de la masa de mantillo con plantaciones de restauración en el bosque tropical estacionalmente seco

Background: Forest mulch is the habitat of decomposer organisms and protects the soil from erosion. In the seasonally dry tropical forest, this organic soil layer is lost due to the elimination of vegetation cover resulting from agricultural activities but could be recovered through restoration intervention. Prediction: The seasonality of rainfall, the composition and species richness of plantings and the recruitment in the areas under restoration explain the accumulation of the mulch mass. Study site and dates: Four-year-old restoration areas in the seasonally dry tropical forest of Quilamula, Sierra de Huautla, Morelos. Methods: Four samplings in areas under natural succession and in seven planting combinations that include between three and 12 species (six legumes and six non-legumes). Results: Including planting combinations and natural succession, the average mulch mass was 6.5 Mg/ha. As expected, mulch mass was greater in the plantings of 12 species compared to the natural succession and in the middle of the dry season compared to what was recorded at the end of the rainy season. Furthermore, forest mulch mass was positively related to the number of planted species and was highest where the lowest cover of the exotic grass Andropogon gayanus was recorded. Conclusions: Restoration plantings favor the recovery of the litter mass by increasing its mass with the number of species planted, while the invasion of exotic grasses reduces it.